The practice of physick in seventeen several books wherein is plainly set forth the nature, cause, differences, and several sorts of signs : together with the cure of all diseases in the body of man / by Nicholas Culpeper ... Abdiah Cole ... and William Rowland ; being chiefly a translation of the works of that learned and renowned doctor, Lazarus Riverius ...

Chap. 1. Of Deafness, and thick or dull Hearing.

WEE comprehend Deafness and thick Hearing in one Chapter, because they come of the same Causes, differing only in Degrees, so that when they are great they take the Hearing quite away; when less, they diminish it: And both these are called vulgarly Deafness; for they who can∣not hear any but such as speak very loud, are called deaf folk.

But Surditas properly, or Deafness, is called in Greek Cophosis, when the Hearing is totally gone; so that the Patient either heareth no noise, or if he do, he cannot distinguish it. These are often dumb if they are born so; not only because men learn to speak by Hearing; but by reason of the great consent that is between the Instruments of Hearing and Speaking by the Nerve of the fifth Conjugation, whose chief Branches are brought to the Ears, but some of them reach to the Tongue

and Throat; whence •••• is, that when the inner Ear is pulled, there is a cough raised; and the reason is plain, for they who are born deaf, if they had their Instruments of Speech corrupted, would by a Natural instinct send forth some Articulate voyce; as other Creatures, although they are kept from their birth, from other Creatures of the same kind, so that they never hear them, yet they produce their connatural voyce; but men born deaf never sent forth an articulate voyce, but only a confused sound, which argueth a manifest hurt of those parts which serve for Speech. Now the hurt of those parts is chiefly from humidity, which affecting that Nerve which goeth to the Ears, Tongue, and Throat, must needs hinder both Speech, and Hearing.

Thick Hearing is called in Greek Baruecoia; and they who are so hear difficultly, and understand not what men say, except they speak very loud: Others cannot hear so wel, and not except the spea∣kers whoop and hallow in their Ears.

Both these Diseases come from the distemper of the Brain or Ears.

A cold distemper of the Brain, or repletion, or weakness, or some other hurt in that part, especial∣ly in which is the rise and progress of the Hearing Nerve, may cause Deafness or thick Hearing.

The Diseases of the Ears are either in the inside or the outside thereof.

In the exterior Cavity, a perfect or an imperfect stoppace from a Tumor, Imposthume, or Blood, Matter, Flegm, and other things coming either from within or without, may cause a defect in the hearing. But you must observe, that the stoppage of the external passage cannot make a perfect and ab∣solute Deafness, but only thick hearing, because sounds may be carried by the mouth also, to the Ears. For there is an open way from the internal Cavity of the Ear to the Pallat, by which sounds do easily pass, and insinuate themselves into the Ears; and this passage is made for the purging of the Ears. And many Experiments do shew that a sound may pass through the open mouth to the Ears. We may observe that they who are very thick of hearing, wil open their mouths that they may better hear those that speak unto them. And if you stop both Ears close, and strike a Musick Instrument with a stick held in your Teeth, you wil hear the sound better. And when you travel in the night, you wil better hear any man coming afar off, if you put one end of your Sword or Staff between your Teeth, and fasten the other end upon the ground.

The Humors which are gathered into the internal Cavity of the Ear, and especially such as flow from the Head do cause deafness or thick hearing in the inner part of the Ear, and these are for the most part flegmy, and somtimes chollerick; as appears Aph. 28. Sect. 4. where Hippocrates saith, that chollerick Evacuations are good for deaf men; somtimes bloody are good, for it is manifest, that the deafness accompanied with the Crisis, comes from the flux of blood to the Ears. Now the Humors are somtimes sent from the whol Body to the Ears, as in continual Feavers and especially those that are malignant. The ill composition of the Instruments of Hearing produceth the same effect; as when the Tympany or Drum groweth too loose by a violent noise or over moistness; and for this reason deaf people are more thick of hearing in Southernly weather, because the Membrane is relaxed by the moistness of the Air; or when the Tympany is over stretched or dried after a vio∣lent disease, long watching, or fasting; or when it is broken by violent motions, or eaten by a corro∣ding humor: Somtimes blood cometh forth after a great hurt, and matter without hinderance to the Hearing, because the passage is between the bone and the Membrane. Or when any parts of the Ear, either originally; or by some outward cause, as stroak, fall, or the like, are put out of their Natural order. Moreover, a cold distemper useth to produce this disease, coming either from the cold Air, or very cold Water powred in, or over much use of stupefactive Medicines called Narcoticks.

'Tis very hard to distinguish al these causes by their proper Signs, but by Art, and conjecture thus:

If Deafness come from the distemper of the Brain, either other Sences suffer, or there appeared some peculiar Dileases in the Head, as head-ach, drouziness, Apoplexy, Lethargy, and the like.

The stoppage of the External Cavity of the Ears is discernable by the Eyes, if you look upon them in the Sun, for then it wil appear whether it be a tumor, or thick matter, or any other heterogeneal substance of another Nature which filleth the Cavity. As also the Patient will tell you if any thing fell into his Ears.

But if the internal Cavity be filled with a humor, we may conceive it to be flegm, if the Patient were formerly subject unto defluxions of that sort.

But that this comes from Choller, is known by some Chollerick Feaver that went before, or now possesseth him, or by some violent pain. But when it comes from blood, there is a heavy pain, and abundance of blood in the whol Body, and this happeneth often in critical disturbances.

The loosness and moistness of the Tympane is known by the causes preceding, which were moist, and distempered some other part: for it can scarce be, that moist causes should only affect that part, and no other.

You may also know the distention and driness of the Tympane by the driness of the whol Body, and by the drying causes aforegoing.

And for the breaking or corroding of the Tympane, you may know that if there were formerly any vehement Causes that could break or gnaw the same.

You must make your Prognostick thus:

Deafness by Birth, and of long continuance, if it be absolute and total, is incurable; and that which is not absolute if it be old, is never or hardly cured.

A Deafnels from Choller or Blood which hapneth only in sharp continuing Feavers, useth to be cured with these Feavers.

Thick Hearing, if it be not speedily cured, endeth in perfect Deafness; witness Galen, 3. de comp. med. sec. loc. cap. 3.

The Membrane of the Tympane being broken, or a scar left thereon, makes an incurable Deaf∣ness.

A Deafness encreasing and decreasing by degrees, is curable, for it signisieth that it comes from a movable humor, which somtimes is more, somtime less in quantity.

A Deafness coming from distemper of the Brain, is more easily cured than that which comes from a proper disease of the Ear.

As to the Cure: That Deafness which depends upon any Disease of the Brain, requireth no other Cure, than that which belongs to such diseases, which you may find in their several Chapters. That which comes from a Tumor, if it be hard and old, admitteth no Cure; but if it be hot, you may find the Cure for it in the Chapter of pain in the Ears. But if it come from matter gathered in the Ear, you may find the Cure in the last Chapter of this Treatise, where we shal speak of those things which preternaturally come forth of the Ear.

If this Disease comes of Driness, it must be cured by the way of Rhasis, that is by moistning things, long sleep, and washing of the Head with warm water; as also putting of moist things into the Ear, as Oyl of sweet Almonds, and the like. If Deafness or thick Hearing come from any thing that is fallen into the Ear, that must be taken away with washing, shaking, or extraction: or if any Ver∣mine are g••t into the Cavity of the Ear, they must either be taken forth, or killed there: they are washed forth by making the part moist and slippery, and enlarging it, with either Milk, the Oyl of sweet Almonds, or some mollifying or relaxing Decoction: they are shaken forth by neesing, for so by the force of the air the parts being moved, that which lieth in the passage of the Ear is excluded, and the sooner if the way be first made slippery and enlarged with Medicines (as we said) It is good al∣so to hang down that side of the head, and to hop upon the log on that side; by which way the Boyes after swimming get the Water out of their Ears. If these wil not do, you must endeavor to draw it forth with an Ear-picker, taking heed, lest when you put it in, you thrust that which you would draw forth, further in; therefore let the spoon of the Ear-picker be very thin that it may easier pass by the thing in the Ear. Or you may lay hold of it, and take it out with a pair of Forcepts made on purpose, rough on both sides within. And if this avail not, when the body is hard, as a nut or stone, it must be laid hold on with an Instrument and broken, and then the Ear must be washed as aforesaid. If the Ear-picker will not enter, arm your probe with a little Cotton all over, and then dip it in Turpen∣tine, or in some other clammy substance, and put it in the Ear that it may stick to that which is there, and stoppeth the Ear. The same may be done with a Wax Candle touched with Bird-lime; and if any of the Bird-lime stick in the Ear, you may afterwards take it out with the Ear-picker. There are some which put a hollow quil into the Ear, and draw out things with sucking.

The worms in the Ears are enticed forth by laying to such things as they love, as Milk with Sugar laid to the Ear in a spunge, or easily put in; or a Fig turned inside out; or the pap of a sweet Apple, or Bacon, and turning the Ear to the Sun at that time; and especially if Horsleeches get in, they are drawn forth by an Injection of blood. Fleas are drawn forth with Dogs hair; but if they be living they must be killed, and then they willess hinder the hearing, and wil be drawn forth more easily: And they are killed with fasting spittle, or your own Urine dropt into the Ear.

Bitter things do sooner kil those Vermine, as the juyce of Wormwood, Centaury, or the Deco∣ction of Aloes, or Beasts Gall. Also sharp things, as Vinegar, juyce of Onions, and the like.

And because the usual cause of Deafness is a cold distemper and a defluxion of moisture to that part, you must labor most to oppose that.

But because this defluxion comes originally from the Brain, therefore we must begin the Cure there, as in the cure of the cold distemper of the Brain; which a Prudent Physitian wil moderate according to the degrees and violence of the distemper.

The brief way of Cure is, first an attenuating Diet, moderately warm and drying, such as is prescribed in Gutta serena: and then avoiding of Southernly winds, by stopping the Ears; and vaporing nourishment, as Garlick and Onions; as also of things that beget thick and flegmy Humors, First, Let a general Evacuation be made by Pills Cephalick Purging Apozemes; then by Phlebotomy if need be; to which ad if the Disease be stubborn, a sweating Diet; and then use particular Remedies that revel the defluxion, as Cauteries, Vesicatories, Neesings, Masticarories, Gargarisms: but

Masticatories, or Chewings; are peculiarly necessary in this Disease, by reason of the passage which comes from the internal Ear to the Pallat, and throws out the excrements of the Ears.

And finally, When the Disease grows old, you must use ordinary Pills, Magistral Syrups, Ce∣phalick Opiats, Pouders and Caps to strengthen the head, and the like. Al which are laid down in the Treatise of the Cold Distemper of the Brain.

In time of Diet, if the Disease be stubborn, Bags are good applyed to the Head after the swea∣ting Potion is administred, as in the said Treatise is prescribed, not only to the fore part of the Head, but to the Ears also.

Brimstone and Bituminous Baths are very proper in this Disease, with washing of the Head, for by them sweat is provoked, and the matter of defluxion is drawn out. But by washing of the Head, the Brain is strengthened and dried, and the humors fixed in the Ears are discussed. The way of using them is described by Penotus, and much commended, in these words: There is nothing in the Cure of Deasness more prevalent after the use of an bundred Medicines, than that the Patient after his Body is first well purged, and then his Head. Wash his Head well in Brimstone Baths, thus: Let him wear a great cap reaching to his Eye-lids, and beneath his Ears, made of Spunges sewed together; let him sit under the cock or spout in the Bath, and let it run upon his Head; which Water the spunges will suckup, and so keep the head in a continual heat; and so opening all the Sutures of the Head, and Commissures, it will take away all the vapors: or it will breath away the matter compacted in the Nerves, and the passages for Hearing, or so change it, that it will quickly be gone: It is good for him to sit so twice in a day for two hours, and presently after to sweat in his bed, and use a slender Diet of Juyces and Broth, and to beware of Wine except it be very weak.

Then you must use Topicks, to discuss the matter fastened in the Ear; which may be thus ap∣plyed:

Take of the Leaves of Organ, Wormwood, Penyroyal, wild Marjoram, Sage, Mints, Centau∣ry the less, Mallows, and Marsh-mallows, of each one handful: the flowers of Chamomel, Melilot, Stoechas, and Rosemary, of each one pugil: Cinnamon and Cloves, of each half an ounce: Boyl these in equal parts of white Wine and Water: Foment the Ear wuh the straming hot in a spunge morning and evening.

Of the same Decoction you may make a Fumigation into the Ear by a Funnel which must needs be excellent because the vapor arising from the hot Decoction must needs reach into the innermost parts of the Ears.

Instead of a Fomentation you may apply a hot loaf made with Caraway seeds, and cut in the mid∣dle.

Or take ordinary Bread from the Oven, and break off the lower crust, and dip it in Spirit of Wine, and let the Patient endure it at his Ears as hot as may be, that the vapor may be received in.

Bread made of Bran is better with Caraway seeds, Bay-berries, Juniper berries, and Nut∣megs mixed before it be baked: then after it is a little baked, break it and apply it hot to the Ears.

If you desire a stonger Decoction for Fomentation and Fume, you may ad one or two drams of the Pulp of Coloquintida, and the root of white Hellebore. You may make this Decoction in white Wine alone, or with Vinegar, that it may pierce more, and discuss.

The Fume of Cloves may be taken with much profit to the Patient by a Funnel into the passage of the Ear when the Head is covered with a warm cloth.

After Fomentations and Fumes, you must put some liquor into the Ears, and then stop them with Muskified Cotton.

Take of the Oyl of bitter Almonds, and Rue, of each one ounce: Mixthem and put them hot into the Ears. Or,

Take of the Oyl of white Lillies, and Castor, of each one ounce: the Oyl of Dill, half an ounce: white Hellebore half a dram: Aqua vitae one ounce. Boyl them in Balneo Mariae till the Aqua vitae be consumed; strain them for the use aforesaid. Or,

Take of Cypress Roots, Bay-berries, Annis and Cummin seed poudered, of each one dram: Pouder of Castor half a dram: Oyl of Rue as much as will be sufficient: Mix them and put them into a great hellow Onion; roast it, and strain out the Liquor to be dropped into the Ears.

Chymical Oyls work most powerfully; as Oly of Rosemary, Marjoram, Sage, Fennel, Spike, Cloves, which are too strong to be used alone, therefore you must mix a very smal quantity of any of them with the Medicines mentioned; thus:

Take of the Oyls aforesaid two ounces: Oyl of Spike, Fennel, Cloves, or the like, half a dram, o•• a dram: Mix them.

There are also some Waters, which if dropped into the Ears do much good. Some Authors com∣mend the Water of an Ash, which is made by putting one end of a green Ash into the fire, and taking the water out of the other end: this is best when deafness cometh of a hot cause, and you fear to use hot Medicines. But if not, then you may mix as much Aqua vitae therewith. Mathiolus mixeth

this Water with Juyces, and commends it highly, in these words: We know that the Water which ••••mes out of Ash, when it is burnt, mixed with the Juyce of Sowbread, Squils, and Rue, in equal ••••rts warmed together, to be excellent against Deafness, if it be dropped into the sound Ear when the Patient goeth to bed, and lieth upon that Ear which is Deaf: but when both Ears are deaf, then into that which is least affected.

The Spirit of Wine wherein white Hellebore hath been infused, being dropped into the deaf Ear, is very efficacious.

Others commend the clarified juyce of Ivy mixed with strong white Wine.

The Galls of Beasts, as of Hairs, Goats, Partridges, are much commended if they be used fresh, with an equal portion of Honey, and warmed in the shell of an Onion.

The fat dripping of an Eel is much used; Put a great Eel upon a Spit, and take the dripping upon Bay Leaves, and drop it warm into the Ears.

Zechius commends Ants Egs, in these words: Ants Egs mixed with the Juyce of an Onion, and dropped into the Ear, do cure the oldest Deafness.

The Blood of a yong Wolf, dropped hot into the Ears doth the same.

Lastly, If the Disease be so stubborn that it will not yield to the Medicines prescribed, it will not be amiss to use the last Remedy which is prescribed by Fonseca, consult. 58. tom. 2. namely, an Unction with Quick-silver, because when Deafness cometh of the French Pox, it is so cured, and it may be when it comes otherwise; and the reason is, because Quick-silver doth dissolve and discuss ••ard tumors, when they are gathered upon any part, and therefore when flegm is gathered in the Ears, which no other means can dissolve, Quick-silver may dissolve it. But this Remedy must not be tried but in a desperate condition; for it is doubtful what the event wil be, and the Unction with Quick∣silver doth much weaken the Brain, and cause defluxions. So that some who have been cured of the Pox by Quick-silver, have after fallen deaf by defluxions; although somtimes (as I said) deafness coming of the French Pox is cured thereby, and Quick-silver rightly used after due Purgation doth ••o hurt to the Brain.

This you must alwaies observe in the use of Topicks, That you never put cold things, but warm, into ••he Ears, and you must not dress them till the old Medicine be taken out. And after dressing you must ••top the Ear with Cotton Muskified, for that only conduceth much to the Cure: as Forestus saith, Obs. 15. lib. 12. in these words: A woman of Delf after a long disease fell deaf, which after sufficient ••urging abstained from Physick: at length she was perswaded by an old woman to put a grain or ••wo of Musk into her Ears with a little Cotton, and so doing she was wonderfully cured. I have ••ured many the same way whose Ears have run.